Space Race

In the period after World War II, from the late 1940’s up until the 1990’s, the United States and their allies were engaged in a “cold” war with the Soviet Union and its allies. Except for minor proxy wars between countries supported by the respective sides, no major wars were fought between the U.S. and the USSR. Nonetheless, tensions were extremely high for many years and the two superpowers constantly went back and forth trying to best the other. Likely the most well-known of these competitions was the Space Race. Battling for cosmic supremacy from the late 1950’s to 1969, the two countries traded many victories over the years and pushed each other to their technological apexes.

The launch of the Sputnik had such a big impact on America because “America thought of themselves as the world’s technological leaders” (Richerme 35). Also “the Soviets, after all, were not supposed to be good at technology” (DeGroot 3). This scared America and brought them into a big crisis or as some call a race. This race was known as the space race and it was a very long and twisted path that it bared on its shoulders.

On October 4th, 1957 the Soviet Union launched the first ever satellite, Sputnik. The launch of Sputnik sent the United States into a frenzy, beginning the Space Race, and the innovation of technology as a whole. The Space Race most importantly had a major impact on the evolution of the United States’s defense technologies through the launch of Sputnik. The Space Race sparked the United States battle for technological superiority against the USSR, and lead to improvizations in their satellite and satellite defense technologies.

Sputnik was also called the “a technological Pearl Harbor” and it was, “a big blow against American prestige” (Wall). A short month later, Sputnik 2 was launched. American then made its move with Explorer 1 on January 31, 1958. For example, “ Explorer 1, the first American satellite to reach orbit, is launched. It carried equipment that lead to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt” (The Space Race Timeline). The Soviet Union responded with Luna 1. Luna 1 “was the first man made object to orbit the sun” (The Space Race Timeline). The US and the USSR have both made several accomplishments. Eventually, the United States ended the battle with one fatal blow. Putting a man on the moon and returning him safely back to Earth. The moon landing took place on July 20, 1969. The first man to walk on the moon was Neil Armstrong. Second was Edwin Aldrin. The moon landing ultimately ended the Space Race with American at the top. For example, “Most people agree that the space race ended on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon for the first time” (Conger). All together, the United States of America ended up winning the Space Race. As you can see, both The US and the USSR had many

Have you heard of the “Space Race”? It all began when the Soviet Union sent the first artificial satellite “Sputnik 1” into space. After that the United States rushed to catch up with the Soviet Union’s technological advances, and the Space Race started. The Space Race finally ended in 1969, when we sent the first man to land on the moon. The Space Race had many impacts on the Cold War.

The American and Soviet Union space programs were in a race to space during the cold war. This space race reflected many political, social, and economic aspects of the cold war. The fact that both countries were in the middle of a cold war didn’t help.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped out of the landing module onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969 marking the first time in human history man had stepped food on a celestial body other than Earth. This event effectively won a more than 10 year competition of scientific advancement and research for the USA, bringing humans to the heavens and setting many precedents for the Cold War. This was known as the “Space Race” between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, commonly known as the USSR or the Soviet Union. This event reflected both countries situations in three major ways: politically, socially, and economically.

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik, and the space race was on. The Soviet’s triumph jarred the American people and sparked a vigorous response in the federal government to make sure the United States did not fall behind its communist rival.

Although there is disagreement on the precise date that the Space Race began, the moment that it became an important competition that was in the forefront of the minds of everyday Americans is on April 12, 1961 when Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the earth in Vostok 1. (citation). This event created a feeling amongst the American public that the Russians were further ahead in science and technology than the United States, as well as the fear that the Soviets could use their superior technology to be better able to attack the USA from a distance. Shortly after Gagarin’s flight, the United States launched astronaut Alan Sheppard into

The Apollo 11 mission would be the first ever attempt to land a human on the moon. President John F. Kennedy would announce that the U.S would soon be attempting the first landing on the moon. On July 16, 1969 John F. Kennedy's dream and claim would become a reality, when Neil Armstrong was the first man that landed on the moon. The famous quote to remember that moment was " That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." ( Klempner et al.).

The space race was a race to see who could do more and get more done in space. It was done against the U.S and the USSR. The USSR was the first to make something orbit the Earth that was the spacecraft Sputnik I. In 1957 USSR launch the Sputnik I it took 98 minutes to make its orbit. It spend 21 days in space before it burned up in the atmosphere. The USSR later launched Sputnik II. It carried the first living thing in space a dog named Laika.The US was going crazy on how Russia has passed them in technology. Almost two years later the US made the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The USSR kept on making successful launches in may 1958 they launch Sputnik III which carried 2 thousand pounds to space. In April 1961 the USSR launched the Vostok I it had the first man to orbit the Earth his name was Yuri Gagarin. A month later the US had the first American to go to space his name was Alan Shepard.

The American public became captivated by this great space race, thoroughly following the developments of both countries’ space programs through television and other news outlets that existed at the time. The victory of the space race for the United States symbolized the superiority of the free-enterprise system as well as other American values to the communist economy and values of The Soviet Union. Soviets became seen as villains by American citizens because of their relentless efforts to surpass The United States in the race to space. The United States space exploration system slowly waned over time, as they ended their Apollo space program after Apollo 17 in 1972. With the conclusion of the space race and The Cold War, the United States and The Soviet Union collaborated on a joint mission that would send three Americans to space to shake hand with Soviet astronauts on their own space craft. This hand shake in space symbolized the true end of the space race and Cold War, as well as the improvement of relations between the United States and the now former Soviet

Did you know that the Soviet Union was the first to launch something outside of Earth’s orbit? In the 1960’s, the Soviet Union speed up the advancement of space science, faster than the United States ever could, during the Space Race. First of all, they were the first to start the Space Race and continually kept going onward to try new concepts and/or more concepts. On the other hand, the Soviet Union were more focused on witnessing who’s better. Finally, the Soviet Union were the ones who sent multiple of inventions into space, but still had a bunch of trial and error and learned what worked and what didn’t work.

“The Eagle Has Landed” The famous quote from “Buzz” E. Aldrin, Jr. as he and Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in the Eagle, the landing ship used for the USA’s first manned flight to the moon.

July 16th, 1969. It’s a peaceful morning at Cape Canaveral with pleasant temperatures and little wind. All is calm. Suddenly, a tremendous roar shatters the morning as the crew of Apollo 11 blast off toward the moon, riding the biggest rocket ever created. Burning 20 tons of explosive fuel a second, it propels Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins into history. The spacecraft lands four days later on the moon. Millions watched as men took the first steps on a strange place 238,900 miles away, or 9 and ½ times around the earth. After placing America’s flag among the lunar rocks, the Apollo 11 crew lit their engines and headed for the small blue sphere we call home, splashing down safely in the ocean and completing Kennedy’s